Tennessee Dog Bite Claims Totaled $9.4 Million in 2016

June 14, 2017

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) and the United States Postal Service have issued a reminder to Tennessee homeowners to obey leash laws to avoid costly dog bite insurance claims this year.

For 2016, the Insurance Information Institute and State Farm estimate that dog bites in Tennessee topped more than 300 claims with $9.4 million paid out. Nationwide, dog bites and other dog-related injuries accounted for more than one-third of all homeowners liability claim dollars paid out in 2016, costing in excess of $600 million. The number of dog bite insurance claims increased from 15,352 in 2015 to over 18,000 in 2016.

“We strongly encourage Tennesseans to review their policies with insurance agents or companies to ensure appropriate coverage in the event of a dog bite. Some insurance carriers may not offer coverage or may charge more for dog breeds considered more dangerous than others and pet owners need to be aware of such coverage limitations,” Assistant Commissioner Michael Humphreys in a statement from TDCI.

June is traditionally when postal letter carriers are most often attacked by dogs. Dog attacks are up every month throughout the year, but June has 13 percent of all attacks. The Postal Service’s Tennessee District said owners can take steps to help prevent an incident including:

  • Make sure your dog is secured during business hours when letter carriers are delivering mail.
  • Secure a dog in a separate room before opening the front door to greet a carrier.
  • Remind children and other family members not to take mail directly from the letter carrier in the presence of the family pet. The dog may view the letter carrier’s gesture as threatening.

Source: Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance

Topics Claims Tennessee

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